If you hang around Sylverant at all, you're probably aware that I've been working on a bunch of patches for PSO GC lately. I'm happy to announce that they are finally available today. Rather than rewrite the details of what each patch does, I will simply paste the README for each patch. Huge thanks go out to Ralf for his hard work on patching PSO GC. Thanks also go out to Kayak and Hayame for helping me to port these patches to all six retail releases of PSO, so players from every region have the opportunity to use these patches.

Be aware that these are client-side patches, meaning they require you to patch your ISO of the game. As such, they are only compatible with Wii and Dolphin. Once BlueCrab implements server-side patching, you can use all of these patches on original GC hardware, too. For the moment you would have to have a modchip or homebrew to run a patched version of PSO on a real GC.

Phantasy Star Online GC
Full Word Select Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Full Word Select Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to fix some of the problems with the game's Word Select menu, namely that a) you can only access the Reply/Confirmation menu when you're in the lobby or on Pioneer 2, so you can't access simple answers like "Yes." and "No." when you're on Ragol, and b) you can only access the Word Select categories for your current location, so you can't access Pioneer 2 Word Selects on Ragol, lobby Word Selects on Pioneer 2, and so forth.
The patch addresses these problems by unlocking a previously unused copy of the Word Select menu used in PSO Ver.2. The V2 Word Select menu allows you to access all Word Select categories at all times, which fixes both of the above problems. If you're unfamiliar with the V2 Word Select menu, there are three things you should know about it:
1) There is no "Recommended answer" category that appears when somebody else asks you a question with Word Select. Instead, relevant replies appear at the top of the "FIXED:ANSWERS" menu, above the "Yes." and "No." options. Once you pick any reply from the answers menu, the relevant replies will disappear, and "Yes." and "No." will be at the top again.
2) The "FIXED:RECOMMEND" category at the top of the menu is a shortcut to the most relevant Word Select category for your current area. This category automatically contains the same strings as the IN THE LOBBY/CITY/AREA/BATTLE categories, depending upon whether you're in the lobby, on Pioneer 2, on Ragol, or in a room with monsters. As such, you can access the most relevant Word Select options for your current situation without having to scroll down to where that category appears in the main Word Select menu.
3) There is no "Other" category. You can find the strings from the "Other" category at the bottom of the "FIXED:GREETINGS" category.
In short, the benefit of the GC Word Select system is that it makes it easier to find specific Word Selects by breaking up the menu into several categories based on where you are, but this also means you may not be able to find the Word Select you want to use if you're in an area where that Word Select doesn't appear in the menu.
The benefit of the V2 Word Select system is that you can use any Word Select at any time, so you always have access to anything you might want to say, but this also means that you have to do a lot of scrolling through massive lists in order to find the Word Select you want to use.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Full_Word_Select_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Huge thanks go out to Ralf for making this patch, as nobody even knew that PSO GC had a fully functional copy of the original Word Select system until he found it, and there are very few people who have the experience needed to find things like this in GC games.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to finally use whatever Word Select they want, whenever they want. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Phantasy Star Online GC
Quest Music Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Quest Music Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to let you hear the correct music when you play Episode I Spaceship and Palace quests, such as Prospective Horizons. With this patch, you will be able to hear "Versus 1: Tricktrack" in Spaceship and "Versus 2: A Longing To Ancient Times" in Palace.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Quest_Music_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Thanks go out Ivy/Kuromori Yu for teaching me how to make memory dumps with Dolphin's debugger, as this patch wouldn't have been possible otherwise.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys having the correct music in Spaceship and Palace. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Phantasy Star Online GC
Disc Music Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Disc Music Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to change the obnoxious music that most of the music discs play into something people might actually want to listen to. Hopefully you approve of my music selections. =P
The patch makes the following music changes:
Disc Vol.1: Wedding -> Rose Confession
Disc Vol.4: Open Your Heart -> Versus 1: Tricktrack
Disc Vol.5: Live & Learn -> Versus 2: A Longing To Ancient Times
Disc Vol.6: Dreams (Kids) -> Leavin' Flow
Remember that this patch only affects what you hear when each disc is playing; it doesn't affect what anybody else hears, so you should still be courteous and ask your teammates' permission before you force them to listen to songs they might not enjoy. ;)
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Disc_Music_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Thanks go out Ivy/Kuromori Yu for teaching me how to make memory dumps with Dolphin's debugger, as this patch wouldn't have been possible otherwise.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys the new music options. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Phantasy Star Online GC
Ending Music Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Ending Music Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to replace the short, looping ending music that normally plays when you beat Dark Falz and Olga Flow online with the full songs that play during the credits in offline mode. In the case of Dark Falz, this also allows you to hear the lyrics to "Can Still See The Light", as the looping version of the song omits the lyrics entirely.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Ending_Music_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Thanks go out Ivy/Kuromori Yu for teaching me how to make memory dumps with Dolphin's debugger, as this patch wouldn't have been possible otherwise.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys having the full ending music in online mode. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Ralf and I finally finished working on one of our more ambitious projects: creating a patch to prevent the game from deleting your unequipped items and Meseta when your game crashes online. This has taken over two months of tinkering and testing to complete, but I think it's worth it.

Phantasy Star Online GC
Item Loss Prevention Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf & Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Item Loss Prevention Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to address a longstanding problem with PSO GC: if you fail to quit and save normally for any reason in online mode, the game deletes your unequipped items and Meseta. This is completely unfair, as the main reason for being unable to quit and save is that the game crashed, so you get punished for something that was out of your control. This patch fixes the problem by preventing the game from deleting your unequipped items and Meseta when you don't quit and save normally in online mode. The summary of how the patch works is this:
If you crash, your save file will revert to the state it was in the last time you talked to the bank, talk to the shop, or teleported to a different area.
As such, any items you had in your pack the last time the game saved will be preserved, instead of being deleted. If you find a new item while playing, you can save it in your item pack by teleporting to the next area or by using a Telepipe to return to Pioneer 2. Once the game saves with the item in your pack, you won't lose it if your game crashes. You can also still put items into the Check Room to save them, of course, although it's no longer necessary to do that with this patch.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Item_Loss_Prevention_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Huge thanks go out to Ralf for making this patch, as there are very few people who have the experience needed to do things like this for GC games. This patch required quite a bit of testing and adjusting, so it is surely the biggest PSO GC patching achievement yet.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to finally play the game without having to worry about keeping backups of their important items to prevent the game from deleting them. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

The Draw Distance Patch is now available. As you might imagine, this patch allows you to see things from farther away by raising their clipping thresholds. This patch is more subjective than most, in that there are tons of items that I could potentially boost, and the new clipping thresholds for these items are equally subjective. If you find any problems with the patch, either with items I missed or items I boosted too much (?!), you can post about it here. Hopefully I won't have to release any updates.

Phantasy Star Online GC
Draw Distance Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf & Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Draw Distance Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to increase your ability to see your surroundings by increasing the draw distance for many of the game's objects. Each object has its own clipping threshold defined by the game, and raising this threshold allows you to see that object from farther away. This patch began as an effort to make it easier to see dropped item boxes on the ground, but it has since expanded to include over 40 other objects. PSO GC uses many of the same low clipping thresholds that PSO DC does, and since the GC hardware is more powerful than the DC hardware, it makes sense to use that extra power to give you a better view of your surroundings. As an added bonus, the patch also increases the range at which Trap Vision can reveal traps, and it allows you to view monster dots and door markers on the Area Map from a greater distance, too.
Be warned, however, that one likely reason to explain why PSO GC uses the same low clipping thresholds as PSO DC is that the clipping thresholds for most objects are the same in online mode, offline mode, and splitscreen mode. As a result, using this patch will almost surely reduce performance when you play splitscreen mode, particularly with 3 or 4 players. The patch is tuned and tested to not cause slowdown in most online and offline situations on real GC hardware, but you should probably not use this patch if you intend to play splitscreen mode, unless you're using Wii or Dolphin. Using splitscreen mode for item transfers between characters will still work fine on real GC hardware, of course, as Pioneer 2 is not very demanding.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Draw_Distance_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Huge thanks go out to Ralf for helping me to make this patch, as I had no idea that each object had its own clipping threshold until he found several of them for me. After that, it was easy for me to find most of the others through simple testing.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to see objects from farther away now. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

The Offline Map Patch is now available. I created this for DC/PC several years ago, and now GC has it, too. With this patch, you get full online enemy spawns in offline Forest and Cave, because fighting 2 Evil Sharks per room is boring.

Phantasy Star Online GC
Offline Map Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Offline Map Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to enable the full Forest and Cave maps when playing the game in offline mode. Forest and Cave normally have fewer enemies offline than they do online, and this pack will enable the use of the fully populated online maps in offline mode, so there are more enemies to kill. This patch only affects the offline Forest and Cave maps; the offline Episode II maps are unchanged, as those maps are actually different from online mode, rather than simply having fewer enemies than the online maps, as is the case in Episode I.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Offline_Map_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well a patching program. The Offline Map Patch is the same on every PSO GC disc, so which disc you have doesn't matter when it comes to installing this patch.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the file "gsl_set_enemy.gsl". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "gsl_set_enemy.gsl".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export gsl_set_enemy.gsl to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted gsl_set_enemy.gsl from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "gsl_set_enemy.gsl" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "gsl_set_enemy.gsl" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "gsl_set_enemy.gsl". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "gsl_set_enemy.gsl" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "gsl_set_enemy.gsl" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"gsl_set_enemy.gsl - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to patch a file that isn't "gsl_set_enemy.gsl". Double check that you extracted the correct file from your PSO GC ISO.
---------
Credits:
---------
Thanks go out to Soly for providing some extra information about GSL files that helped me to double check that I was patching the file correctly.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to fight the full spawns in offline Forest and Cave. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

What I always wished for for offline play was that all map layouts of all section IDs can be used.
E.g. I'm Skyly, get Ruins 1 layout A which is possible with Skyly, then I get Ruins 2 layout B which is only possible with Redria.
Is it possible to patch that? I never understood why Sonic Team limited the layouts to certain IDs.

To my knowledge there is no such limitation, although certain layouts may be more common on one ID than another. Sega was lazy with the offline maps and didn't make offline versions of every map, so there are certain Forest and Cave layouts that never appear offline. The same holds true for all areas of Episode II, but all Mine and Ruins layouts are available offline if you reset the game enough times to get the layout you want, AFAIK.

The server tells you which maps to use online, so you generally get much more variety that way on top of getting the online-exclusive layouts.

The Ice Patch is now available. This patch combines the old patch for Blizzard weapons with a new patch to improve the casting speed and freezing rate of Gibarta. This patch supersedes the Blizzard Patch, so you can install it on top of the old patch. It also fixes a bug with the Blizzard Patch, so please update if you're using the old patch.

Phantasy Star Online GC
Ice Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Ice Patch for PSO GC. This patch has two purposes: the first is to improve the terrible 20% cap on Blizzard's success rate in Ultimate mode, and the second is to improve the Gibarta Technique.
For Blizzard, the fact that ice weapon specials only work 1/5 of the time at best in Ultimate has meant that nobody had any use for Blizzard weapons, until now. This patch increases the Blizzard success rate cap to 60% in Ultimate, thus allowing Blizzard weapons to have a reasonable chance of working, while also making sure that Arrest weapons remain relevant. This patch therefore supersedes the old Blizzard Patch.
While Blizzard is only terrible in Ultimate without this patch, Gibarta is terrible in every difficulty. Its casting time is longer than that of any other Technique (even Grants and Megid!), which combined with its poor range at low levels makes it nearly impossible to use effectively. At high levels it remains slower than Rabarta, yet it has almost the same TP cost, so there is rarely any reason to ever use it, especially since Rabarta doesn't require aiming, whereas Gibarta does. This patch aims to improve Gibarta to the point where it is worthwhile to cast it.
This patch first changes Gibarta's casting speed to match the casting speed of Gizonde level-for-level, which allows you to cast it much more rapidly than before. In other words, if you have Gibarta at any particular level, it will cast at the same speed as Gizonde would at that same level. This is the same casting speed that Gibarta has in PSO Ver.2, so there is a precedent for making Gizonde and Gibarta have the same casting speed. The animation for Gibarta 26-30 has also been adjusted slightly to compensate for the increased casting speed.
This patch also increases Gibarta's ability to freeze enemies in Ultimate. Although Gibarta now casts more rapidly than Rabarta, it requires you to group the enemies into a line, and it still has problems similar to Launchers and Slicers where if you use it at point blank range, the projectiles fly into the air (or floor), instead of piercing. Rabarta has neither of these problems, yet its TP cost is nearly the same as Gibarta's. In order to compensate for these limitations, this patch gives Gibarta a 30% freezing rate in Ultimate, while Rabarta's freezing rate in Ultimate remains at 20%. As a result, even though Gibarta requires more effort to use effectively, it also has a greater freezing ability if you're willing to put in that effort.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Ice_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Huge thanks go out to Ralf for making this patch, as there are very few people who have the experience needed to make patches for GC games. Ralf is also the first person to discover why Gibarta is so infamously terrible on GC (and BB) and to make Gibarta as useful as it is in PSO Ver.2 at long last.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to finally use Blizzard weapons and Gibarta. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

I've updated the Draw Distance Patch to version 1.1. The update increases the draw distance of item boxes (and blood) a bit further to compensate for the giant rooms in Episode II, and it also increases the draw distance of item crates to make them easier to find, as well as a few other improvements.

Phantasy Star Online GC
Chat Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Chat Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to improve the game's chat mechanics. The main feature of this patch fixes the log window's automatic scrolling, which makes it extremely difficult to catch up on a conversation when other players are talking, because every time somebody speaks, the log automatically scrolls to the bottom, which prevents you from reading the rest of the log. With this patch, simply hold L+R when the log window is open to disable the automatic scrolling, and now you can use the directional pad to scroll up freely. Once you're done reading the log, simply release L+R to restore the automatic scrolling, so you can follow the current conversation again.
The secondary feature of this patch is to restore the ability to chat in colours using the /cc command on Sylverant, as in PSOv2. PSOGC normally strips colour codes out of chat bubbles and the log window, which prevents you from seeing coloured chat, but with this patch, colour codes are no longer removed. As an added bonus, Word Selects that appear on multiple lines in chat bubbles will now be properly spaced in the log window again.
Note that this patch will allow you to see when V2 players are using colour chat, and V2 players will also see when you are using colour chat, but only GC players who are using the patch will be able to see when you are using colour chat, since default GC clients will still remove the colour codes from your messages.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Chat_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Huge thanks go out to Ralf for making this patch, as the automatic chat log scrolling has always been a huge hindrance to people trying to catch up on active conversations, and colour chat is always a nice way to have some harmless fun.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to finally pause the chat log and use shiny text. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Phantasy Star Online GC
Event Music Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf & Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Event Music Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to restore the special music on Pioneer 2 during online events, as in PSOv2. Sega added lobby events in PSOGC, and while they kept the Pioneer 2 event decorations, they removed the event music. With this patch, the music on Pioneer 2 will change during online events again. As an added bonus, the lobby theme for the Sonic event is now "Live & Learn", as "Open Your Heart" is used on Pioneer 2.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Event_Music_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Huge thanks go out to Ralf for making this patch, as Pioneer 2 is much more festive when it has appropriate music to match the decorations.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to finally hear the in-game event music again. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Phantasy Star Online GC
Atari Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Atari Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is simple: it restores the Atari logo above the hospital on Pioneer 2. All Dreamcast versions have the Atari logo, and the Japanese releases of PSO GC have it too, but the Western (US and EU) GameCube releases do not, most likely because Nintendo of America told Sega to remove it. This patch will replace the generic symbol above the hospital with the original Atari logo that Sega had used in previous PSO releases.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Atari_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as two patching programs. The Atari Patch is the same on every Western PSO GC disc, so which disc you have doesn't matter when it comes to installing this patch, as long as it isn't a Japanese release. If you have a Japanese copy of PSO (regular or Plus), then you do not need this patch at all, as your disc already has the Atari logo on Pioneer 2.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the files "map_acity00.GVM" and "map_city00.GVM", which are located inside the "Scene" folder. Patching both files is required to get the Atari logo in both Normal/Hard/Very Hard and Ultimate. If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the folder named "Scene".
Click on the + icon to the left of the folder icon to show the contents of the "Scene" folder, then scroll down. You will need to repeat the steps below for the following 2 files:
map_acity00.GVM
map_city00.GVM
Right click on the "map_acity00.GVM" filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export map_acity00.GVM to the folder you selected, then follow the same process to also extract map_city00.GVM. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted map_acity00.GVM and map_city00.GVM from the ISO, it's time to patch them. First, run the "PSO_GC_Atari_Patch_(Normal).exe" patching program, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "map_city00.GVM" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "map_city00.GVM" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "map_city00.GVM". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too.
Now run the "PSO_GC_Atari_Patch_(Ultimate).exe" patching program, and repeat the above steps to patch the "map_acity00.GVM" file you extracted from your ISO. You have now applied the patch to both files, so it's time for the final step.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "map_city00.GVM" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "map_city00.GVM" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
Now right click on "map_acity00.GVM" in the GCRebuilder file list, select the "Import..." option again, and choose to import the "map_acity00.GVM" file you patched in step 3.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching programs give an error that says:
"map_city00.GVM - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to patch a file that isn't "map_city00.GVM". Double check that you extracted the correct file from your PSO GC ISO.
---------
Credits:
---------
Thanks go out to Sega for not removing the Atari logo in Japanese releases of PSO GC, as that made this patch easier to do and of higher visual quality than if I had converted the DC Atari logo texture to GC format.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys seeing the Atari logo on Pioneer 2 again. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Nice stuff @Aleron Ives , each patch you release makes me hyped for what what you might be working on next ^_ ^ (I use several of your patches on my PAL game. Often the following combination : Item Loss Prevention, Freeze, Draw Distance (except when I want to play co-op with my brother on the same console for that one, don't want to take any risk))

Phantasy Star Online GC
Radar Map Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf & Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Radar Map Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is to improve the in-game maps. The patch comes in two forms: the main patch significantly raises the sizes of the mini map, area map, and splitscreen map to let you see more of your surroundings, but the map frames are more translucent to reduce the impact of the larger maps on the screen. These larger maps necessitate some UI changes in order to fit, such as moving the Challenge area window to the left side of the screen above the HUD, as there isn't enough room for it to look good above the larger mini map.
If you prefer to avoid HUD changes, an alternative patch is also included that provides a more modest increase to the sizes of the area and splitscreen maps. The alternative patch tries to improve the map functionality without compromising any of the existing HUD aesthetics or boundaries, so unlike the main patch, the mini map is unchanged, and the splitscreen map compass has been left disabled.
Both patches increase the zooming abilities of the area map and splitscreen map, so the map is more useful for navigation than before. The delay before the splitscreen map starts to zoom when holding L/R has also been increased to four seconds to reduce the likelihood of zooming the map by accident when you're playing with the map open.
Both patches also include the increased map icon draw distance from the Draw Distance Patch, as the new maps are less beneficial with the default draw distance on doors and enemies. The increased draw distance is the same as with the Draw Distance Patch, so you can apply either patch on top of the other safely, but you may wish to use this patch without the Draw Distance Patch in splitscreen mode to improve performance if you experience extra slowdown with the Draw Distance Patch on real GameCube hardware.
-NOTE-
You should keep a backup of your PsoV3.dol file if you wish to try both the main and alternative map patches, as they are separate and are not compatible with each other!
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Radar_Map_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as two folders. The "Main" folder contains the main patch, and the "Alt" folder contains the alternative patch. Each folder contains six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol" (unless you want to try both map patches). Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Huge thanks go out to Ralf for documenting how the game's map system works, as the default map sizes do not utilise the available screen space very well, and there are very few people who have the experience needed to find things like this in GC games.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys the new map functionality. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Phantasy Star Online GC
Rare Alert Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf & Aleron Ives
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Rare Alert Patch for PSO GC. This purpose of this patch is to make it easier to tell when rare items have dropped during gameplay. To that end, this patch makes rare items appear as red dots on the radar map, and it also plays a chime when a rare item drops. Note that all items with red boxes will appear on the map, but only items that have just dropped from a monster or item crate will trigger the chime.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Rare_Alert_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Huge thanks go out to Ralf for making this patch, as it can be difficult to tell when items have dropped when monsters are swarming everywhere, and there are very few people who have the experience needed to find things like this in GC games.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to easily locate red boxes in Seabed at long last. =P Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Phantasy Star Online GC
Widescreen Patch
Patcher by: Aleron Ives
Patch by: Ralf
http://psopalace.funurl.com
----------------
Introduction:
----------------
Welcome to the Widescreen Patch for PSO GC. The purpose of this patch is simple: it lets you play the game in widescreen with the choice of using 16:10, 16:9, or 21:9. The patch forces the game to render additional 3D geometry on the left and right sides of the screen, so when you stretch the image to a widescreen aspect ratio, the 3D elements won't be distorted. Keep in mind that this patch does not affect the game's 2D assets, so the HUD and menus will still be distorted, and the distortion at 21:9 is significantly greater than at 16:10.
--------------
Installation:
--------------
After downloading and unzipping the PSO_GC_Widescreen_Patch.zip archive, you should have this README.txt file, as well as six different patching programs per aspect ratio. Each patching program is meant for one of the six possible PSO GC releases that you might have:
NTSC-J 1.02 (JP regular disc)
NTSC-J 1.05 (JP Plus disc)
NTSC-U 1.00 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.01 (US regular disc)
NTSC-U 1.02 (US Plus disc)
PAL 1.00 (EU regular disc)
If you're not sure which version of the game you have, look at the inner ring on the bottom of your disc, and you should see one of these product numbers:
DOL-GPOJ-0-02 (JP 1.02)
DOL-GPOJ-0-05 (JP 1.05 Plus)
DOL-GPOE-0-00 (US 1.00)
DOL-GPOE-0-01 (US 1.01)
DOL-GPOE-0-02 (US 1.02 Plus)
DOL-GPOP-0-00 (EU 1.00)
You only need to use the patching program that matches the ISO dump of the disc you have.
Always be sure to keep a clean backup copy of your ISO, so that you don't have to dump your game again if you make a mistake!
In order to patch your ISO, you will need to use GCRebuilder to extract the game's main exectuable file, "PsoV3.dol". If you don't have GCRebuilder, you can find it in the GC downloads section of the main site. If you want a tutorial with pictures, you can find one in the GC guides section of the main site; otherwise, follow these steps:
1) Open GCRebuilder, select the "Image" option at the top, then select "Open". GCRebuilder will ask you to select an image to open. Navigate to the location of your PSO ISO file, select it, then click the "Open" button.
2) You will now see information about your PSO disc on the left side of the main GCRebuilder window, as well as a list of all the files on the disc on the right side of the main GCRebuilder window. The files are shown in alphabetical order by default, so use the scrollbar to scroll down until you find the file "PsoV3.dol".
Right click on the filename, and you'll get a small popup with the options "Import..." and "Export...". Click the "Export..." option, and then GCRebuilder will ask where you want to export this file. For simplicity, I suggest exporting it to C:\. Click the "Save" button to export PsoV3.dol to the folder you selected. We're done with GCRebuilder for the moment, but don't close it yet.
3) Now that we have extracted PsoV3.dol from the ISO, it's time to patch it. Run the patching program that matches the PSO disc you have, and then click the "..." button. A window will open asking you to select the "PsoV3.dol" file you want to patch. Navigate to C:\, and you should see the "PsoV3.dol" file you just extracted from your ISO. Select it, then click the "Open" button. I recommend unchecking the "Make a backup when possible" option, as you don't need a backup copy of "PsoV3.dol". Now press the "Start" button, and you should get confirmation that the file was successfully patched. When you close this message, the patching program will automatically close, too. You have now applied the patch, so it's time for the final step.
Before you begin the final step, you may want to apply other patches to your "PsoV3.dol" file. Once you've applied all of the patches you want to use, it's time to put the modified "PsoV3.dol" back into your ISO.
4) You should still have GCRebuilder open at this point, so this step is easy. Right click on "PsoV3.dol" in the GCRebuilder file list again, but this time, select the "Import..." option. A window will open asking you to select the file you want to import. Navigate to C:\ and select the "PsoV3.dol" file you patched in step 3. Click the "Open" button, and then you should get a confirmation window to indicate that the file import was successful.
That's it! You can now close GCRebuilder and use your patched PSO ISO file to play with Wii or Dolphin (or GC, if you have the necessary homebrew).
--------------------
Troubleshooting:
--------------------
If the patching program gives an error that says:
"PsoV3.dol - File size/version missmatch!"
then that means you tried to use a patching program that doesn't match your PSO disc. Double check which version of PSO GC you have and then select the patching program that matches your disc.
---------
Credits:
---------
Thanks go out to Ralf for making this patch, as most people want to play the game in widescreen these days, and there are very few people who have the experience needed to find things like this in GC games.
That's the end of this README; I hope everyone enjoys being able to play in widescreen without having to use Dolphin's widescreen hack. Don't forget to visit PSO Palace, the home of this patch.
http://psopalace.funurl.com

Nintendont checks ISO checksums though, I think. Doesn't a checksum change when data in ISO change ? (am actually a bit clueless about this) I think I remember testing one of your patches with it and dont remember it working, I might be wrong though

The checksum will change, but Nintendont shouldn't prevent you from playing, since the ISO is still valid. If it complains about the checksum, there ought to be a way to tell it to shut up about that. If you rebuild the entire ISO, then yes, the game probably won't boot, since Nintendont is picky about alignment.